Mount Carmel Overwhelms Marist 42-7 as Dowling, Furlong and Dupree Lead Unbeaten Caravan

Four games do not make a season, but for Mount Carmel they tell a clear story. On Friday night in Chicago, the Caravan beat visiting Marist 42-7 in a CCL/ESSC Blue contest, running their record to 4-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play.

The offensive formula has been consistent: lean on the running game with Darrion Dupree, then look for big plays through the air from senior quarterback Blainey Dowling and wide receiver Denny Furlong.

Furlong finished with five catches for 149 yards and three touchdowns. One of those scores came from backup quarterback Jack Elliott after Dowling's helmet was knocked off. Dowling, who has been friends with Furlong since they were 5 years old, said the pairing is known to fans as "7-11, always open." He called his teammate a "freak athlete" and said the approach is simple: get him the ball on short throws, then hit the big play.

Dowling completed 16 of 22 passes for 231 yards and four touchdowns. He showed an ability to scramble and keep his eyes downfield when plays broke down or snaps sailed over his head. He credited his offensive line for giving him time and the receivers for getting open. "We're hot right now," he said.

Dupree, a junior running back, also made his mark as a receiver, catching touchdown passes of 13 and 40 yards. He later broke tackles on a 55-yard run into the end zone. He described the offense's approach this way: "We play like a fist. We get teams thinking we're going to run it, and no, we just throw it and surprise them."

The defense was equally effective. Mount Carmel has now outscored its opponents 163-10 this season. Marist had been averaging 37 points per game entering the matchup and had not scored fewer than 31 in any game.

The RedHawks (2-2, 0-1) briefly threatened to score first when Ryan Sims caught a 50-yard pass from quarterback Dermot Smyth. Two plays later, Damarion Arrington intercepted a pass to end the drive. Arrington was active throughout, also recording a sack and a tackle for loss. Marist did not reach the scoreboard until the end of the third quarter, when Smyth connected with Nolan Baudo on a 15-yard touchdown.

Smyth gave credit to the winners. "They were getting a lot more pressure than we expected," he said. "Their defensive backs were good, for sure, but we gotta come ready to play."

Dowling pointed to the defense as the source of the offense's confidence. "Our defense is scary," he said. "Our defense scouts for us, and that makes us 20 times better."

With 18 returning starters, Mount Carmel has its sights set on a state championship, and Dowling said the team's work is only beginning.